In 1954, following the death of her American serviceman husband, beautiful Freya (Margaret Vilhjalmsdottir) returns to her native Icelandic fishing village. With several trunks of fashionable clothing and astounding tales of life in postwar New York, she turns the town on its ear with her glamorous presence. Intent on finding another husband, she moves into the already bustling household of her grandparents, joining Granny, insecure young Dodo, mentally challenged Ninna, her grandfather (when he isn't out on a fishing boat), and precocious 11 year-old Agga (Ugla Egilsdottir). Agga is suspicious of Freya from the moment she arrives but eventually her distrust gives way to fascination. When Freya has a passionate encounter with Bjorn, an engineer and one of the town's most eligible bachelors, Agga helps iron out the kinks in the burgeoning romance. The drama that unfolds becomes the talk of the town, and eventually carries all the women of Freya's extended family into unexpectedly dark territory.
Stunning Icelandic locales give THE SEAGULL'S LAUGHTER a distinctly exotic sense of time and place. Vilhjamsdottir is a beguiling screen presence, and in Egilsdottir, she has a winning, appealing foil. Veering between quaint, small-town-style comedy--in which the quaintness of the locals is played for laughs--and dark, myth-influenced drama, Agust Guomundsson's unique and amusing film is a treat for the adventurous filmgoer.
DVD Features:
Region (unknown)
Keep Case
Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.85
Audio:
Dolby Digital Stereo - Icelandic
Additional Release Material:
Five Deleted Scenes
Featurette - Making of THE SEAGULL'S LAUGHTER
Trailer - 1. TV Spots
2. Original Theatrical Trailer
Text/Photo Galleries:
Essay by Agust Guodmundsson
Source Writer
Kristin Marja Baldursdottir: Source Writer, SEAGULL'S LAUGHTER (2004)
Review 1:
"The film rollicks as a witty ensemble character study..."
Source: Box Office
p.27 03/01/2004
Review 2:
"[A] delicious pitch-dark Icelandic comedy..."
Source: Los Angeles Times
p.E12 03/17/2004
Review 3:
"[A]n uncommonly engaging comedy with ripe tragic undertones."
Source: Chicago Sun-Times
p.42 05/07/2004
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